BUDDIES boss Danny Lennon is set to make Dutch striker Nigel Hasselbaink sweat in his bid to earn a new deal at St Mirren.

Hasselbaink has been in fine form in recent weeks but faces an uncertain future as his current contract runs out at the end of the season.

Lennon said he is a big fan of the little hitman – but is remaining tight-lipped over whether or not the player will be offered an extended stay in Paisley.

And he has urged Hasselbaink to work that little bit harder if he really wants to take the SPL storm.

Lennon told Express Sports: “Nigel has done very well and he can be a right nuisance for teams at times but he’s still young and there’s a lot of devlopment to come with him.

“When he works hard, he’s a very, very good player.”

Hasselbaink joined Saints from Hamilton Accies last summer and has scored seven times so far this season.

The nippy forward made himself an instant hero with the Paisley faithful by scoring against their old rivals Morton in the Scottish Communities League Cup.

Hasselbaink has also scored on two separate occasions against both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock in the SPL, as well as hitting the back of the net in a league clash against Dunfermline.

And he was also on target against Ross County in the Scottish Cup.

His pace has been a real feature of St Mirren’s play in recent weeks – and Lennon is convinced there is even more to come from the Dutchtman.

He added: “Nigel is a livewire. He started off the season very brightly for us and now he is finishing the season strongly, which is absolutely terrific.

“We have to manage Nigel and make sure we get the best out of him – week in, week out.”

Hasselbaink is just one of several first team players who are entering the final few weeks of their contracts, with the likes of goalkeeper Graeme Smith, defender David van Zanten and midfielders Hugh Murray and Steven Thomson all facing an uncertain future.

And Lennon knows he has some tough decisions to make about who should stay and who should go this summer.

He said: “What we are trying to build at this football club is quality.

“When you look back at our bench against Kilmarnock on Saturday, it was probably the first time you could say that, from one to seven, there was all-round quality.”